Improved method of attaching shoes to horses



Unirse STATES i" rtree.

PATENT THOMAS HENRY INCE, OF. WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,215, (lated May 29,1866.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS HENRY INCE,

of theWestminster Palace Hotel,Westminstel',-

in the county ofMiddleseX, England, barristerat.-la\v, have made new anduseful Improvements in the Mode of Shoeing Horses 5 and I do herebydeclare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of thenature and operation ofthe same, sufficient to enable one skilled in theart to which my invention is allied to use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which are made part of this specication.

This invention has for its object improvements in the mode of shoeinghorses and other animals.

In shoeing horses as at present generally practiced nails are used,which are driven into the foot of a horse in a curved direction, thepoints being first bent in such manner that the end or point of eachnail may, after entering the foot a certain distance, come out throughthe outer surface of the horn or hard crust of the foot, where the nailsare clinched and led off. In thus driving the nails to fasten a shoeconsiderable skill is required in order that the nails, on the one hand,may enter to the desired eX- tent, and then that their points or endsmay pass out of the foot, and, 011 the other hand, that this may be donewithout touching or injuring the tender parts interior of the hard crustor horn. Again, by penetrating the outer crust of the hoof, and by thehammering required to clinch the nail, the hoof is very seriously andpermanently injured.

Now, according to the present invention, screws are used for fixingshoes onto horses feet in the place of nails. The shoes are also formedand suitably drilled or punched, with or without fullering, for thereception of the screws, and so as to guide the screws into holes whichare first drilled or bored in the under edge of the horn or hard crustofthe feet. This is done in such manner that each screw may, when in thefoot, be as nearly as may be parallel to the outer surface of the foot,the points of the screws not being allowed to pass out from the hardcrust or horn of the foot. The

screws employed have threads formed on them similar to wood-screws-thatis, the threads or worms are of considerable depth as compared with thediameter of the shafts of the screws. It is preferred that the shaft ofeach screw should be cylindrical from end to end beyond where it joinsits nicked head; but this is not essential, as the shafts of each screwmay be somewhat tapered. It is desirable that the diameter o-f thethread or worm of a screw should be somewhat less at the point or endthan at the head, so thatthe succeeding turns of the thread or worin, asit enters the foot, are slightly larger than the preceding ones. Theholes drilled in the foot are to be as large in diameter as the shaftsof the screws used, in order that the hard part of the crust of the/foot may not be pressed outward or inward l); the shafts of the screwsas they pass into/the holes drilled in the foot. The holes drilled intothe shoes are countersunk to receive the heads of the screws, and, asbefore mentioned, the directions in which the holes are formed through ashoe correspond with those formed in the foot, and this direction issuch that each screw may be parallel, or nearly so, with the outersurface, and not so inclined thereto as to cause the point thereof topass out.

In some cases the surfaces of the heads of the screws, in place of beingat right angles to the central line of the shafts, are inclined thereto,so that when the screws have been screwed into the foot the heads of thescrews may come more nearlyparallel with the under surfaces of the footthan they would do if the heads were formed at right angles to theirshafts. By thus using screws, and shoes suitable for receiving screws,the concussion produced by nailing is avoided.

The putting .on of horseshoes may be performed by persons havingcomparatively little skill, as compared with that necessary in fixingshoes by nails as now practiced, and with no danger of pricking. Theshoes will also be more securely held, and may be readily removed froiuthe feet, as it will onlyr be necessary to withdraw the screws. Intheevent of the heads of the screws being so much worn as to requirefresh nicks, they may be readily produced by a cutter, so as to admit ofthe screws being turned back and withdrawn. This plan also obviates theinjuries produced by hammering on the hoof in clinching the nails,producing sealy feet and other diseases of the feet-the too frequentresult of fastening shoes by nailing-and the horse travels with comfortimmediately after shoeing7 iustead of having to wear his shoes awhile tobecome accustomed to them when nailed and clinched to the hoof.

Having thus stated the nature of my invention, I will, with the aid ofthe drawings hereunto annexed, proceed more fully to describe the mannerof performing the same.

Figure l is a vertical section of the hoof and shoe of a horse, the shoebeing applied according to my invention. Fig. 2 shows the under side ofthe foot with the shoe, and Fig. 3 is a sideview of the same.

A horses foot is to be first evenly pared or prepared as usual. The shoeis to be of the usual shape, with the follQwin g modifications: Insteadof a scratch, crease, or fullering, as usually made in the shoe, andinstead of the nail-holes, as ordinarily made, a flatbottomed fulleringor a sufficient number of round holes of such a size as to receive thescrew is to be made iu the shoe in such parts of the shoe as theoperator prefers. rlhe holes are to be well countersunk, so as toprotect the heads of the screws from wear. rlhe holes are to be formedin directions as nearly as possible in a line with the outer crust orwall of the hoof at the place where the screw is intended to enter thehoof. It is preferred that the screws used should be made of thetoughest metal with hardened heads, which may have a diameter one-halfgreater than the threaded portion. The screws may be nicked so as to bedriven and withdrawn with a screw-driver, or they may have square orangular heads driven and withdrawn by a key or nippers. The shaft ofeach screw may be either cylindrical or taperY ing, and the threadshould be deep and tapering slightly from the head to the point, andcontinued up so near the head as to prevent any unthreaded portion of ascrew entering the hoof.

When the shoe is made to fit the hoof accuhoof with a suitable gimlet,drill, or other borrately a hole foreach screw isto be bored in theing-instrument, which is to make a hole of the diameter of the shaft ofthe screw to he used. Each holein the hoof is to be as nearly as may beparallel to the outer surface of the wall or crust. But as in mosthorses feet the walls of the hoofs are firmer and tougher oil theoutside than on the inside, it is obvious that the holes through theshoe and into the hoof should be in such places and in such directionsas to pass the screws into the most dense and tough parts of the horn.It will be evident that the strength, length, and size of the screw mustbe regulated to suit each horse according to its size, the work to beperformed, and the weight of the shoe worn. The number of screws usedfor fixing a shoe must also be regulated by the same rule.

In replacing shoes the same holes in the foot should be used as far aspracticable; but of course new holes may be made, according t0 thejudgment of the operator. It is desirable to oil the screws beforeusing. The depth of each hole should correspond exactly with the lengthof the part of the screw to be received. The holes in the shoe may becountersunk to such distance as to leave only sufficient metal betweenthe screwheads and the hoof to hold on the shoe, and the heads of thescrews being beveled the holes may be so much countersunk as to admit ofthe shoe being worn down to the head of the screw before removing, ifdesirable. Should the heads of the screws become worn down and theuicksobliterated new nicks can be made. Whenever grooved shoes or shoeswith intercepted calks, or any other formation of shoe by which theheads of the screw would he protected, are used, the holes in the shoeto receive the screws may or may not be countersunk, according to the judgment of the operator. The best kind of screws preferred to be usedare similar to the ordinary wood-screw, with the thread running to theheads, but with deeper threads, smaller heads, and deeper nicks than theordinary woodscrew.

It is found desirable after a horse has been shoed a few hours, and whenthe hoof has become closely compressed to and has accommodated itself tothe shoes, that the screws should he tightened, and when found necessarythe screws maybe again tightened.

Among the advantages resulting from my invention are the following Theouter crust of the hoot is not pierced, broken, or injured to anyextent, as oecursin nailing., The concussion required in nailing isentirely avoided. The horse travels offwith perfect ease and comfortimmediately after being shod with screws. The shoes may be easilyremoved for the purpose of frost-roughing, or for any other purpose, andpricking, which so frequently results from nailing, is entirelyobviated.

What I claim as my invention is- The mode herein described of attachinga horseshoe by screws whose heads shall be sunk within the body of themetal, as shown and described, and which penetrate the hoof in adirection parallel, or nearly so, with the outer wall thereof, butwithout piercing the latter.

T. H. INCE. Witnesses:

G. F. WARREN, Trios. BROWN, Both of No. 17 Gracechurck Street, London.

